Patriarch Daniel: St Demetrius the New and St Elizabeth of Pasărea call us to holiness through prayer and compassionate love

Patriarch Daniel has urged Christians to strengthen family life through prayer, mutual care and practical support for those in need, saying that the examples of St Demetrius the New and St Elizabeth of Pasărea show that holiness remains possible in every generation.

In an address during the Way of the Saints procession in Bucharest on Saturday, 24 October, the Romanian Orthodox Patriarch highlighted families’ role in passing on the Christian faith and called on parish communities to support people facing illness, poverty, separation, and loneliness.

“God is at work in every generation and continually calls people to holiness,” Patriarch Daniel said, pointing to St Elizabeth of Pasărea, who died in 2014, as an example of how prayer and humble service can transform everyday life.

St Demetrius the New and St Elizabeth of Pasărea call us to sanctify our lives through prayer and compassionate love Your Graces,

Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers,

Venerable Mothers,

Beloved pilgrims,

The year 2026, proclaimed by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church as the Solemn Year of Pastoral Care for the Christian Family and the Commemorative Year of Holy Women in the…